Rotatable display sign with shutter



ROTATABLE DISPLAY SIGN WITH SHUTTER Filed Jan. 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 s I I5 5 l6 s w l x M u 2 l u I I9 32 F15 I 2| 33 ,1 [K W/ Z2 1 I '4 H M W IHMIHI J, 5Z

RICHARD N MORTO N ATTOR NEY Sept. 13, 1949..

Filed Jan. 5, 1948 R. N. MORTON ROI'A'IABLE DISPLAY SIGN WITH SHUTTER Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

MORTON ATTOR NEY Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNITED. STATES PATENT ()FFICE;

ni'srrlri SIGN wrrli SHUTTER I 4 Richard Newton Morton,- Yakima, Wash. n iieanon January 5, 1948 sen-[a1 no. set

7 Claims. (Cl.40.-33-) This inventinnrelates to signs and is particularly adapted: tobe" used in. signs using transparent cards through which light is-proiectd for illuminating the subiectmatter of the sign.

The primary'obj'ect or my invention is to provide aiblackout shutter for blacking out the-movemen-t of the signs within the case when changing from one sign to another.- 7

further object oi the invention is to bring into action an auxiliary sign which-forms part of the blackout shutter while the various sign cards are being changed within the case of the sign.

These and other incidental objects will be apparent in the drawings, specifications and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of my new and improved sign, one of the interchangeable signs shown in illuminated and display position.

Figure 2 is the same as Figure 1 except that the blackout shutter is raised hiding the movement of the display cards within the case of the sign. In this view the blackout shutter is shown displaying a sign.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the assembled sign illustrating a blank blackout card displaying no indication or sign.

Figure 4 is a plan sectional view taken on line 1-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an end sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an end sectional View taken on line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary broken away view illustrating the blackout card in raised position while the display signs are being revolved for a change of display.

Figure 8 is an end sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail perspective view illustrating how the display cards are mounted within the card supporting reel.

Referring more specifically to the drawings:

My new and improved display sign consists of a case I having a reel assembly 2 mounted therein. The reel assembly consists of a shaft 3 having disks 4- and 5 fixedly secured thereon, said shaft 3 being J'ournalled within bearings 6 and I. The shaft extends through the bearing 1 and has a star wheel 8 keyed thereto. Display cards 9 are mounted between the disks 4 and 5 by way of the guide members [0 forming part of the disk. The display cards may be removed from these guide members and others replaced therein for changing the script of the signs.

2 Adi-Wing: unit l t consisting: of amotorand gear redueti'oni not here shown: detail, rotates the cranlh I12, which is keyed to the' vertical shaft lill This crank in turn engages thespokes M or the star wheel 8? revolving the reel 2 ninety degrees on' each: revolutionof: the crank-['21 A; fluorescent:

light I5 is mounted Within the ca se by the usual brackets I5 re'ceives its' energy fromthe supply transrormer' I583: although I donot wishtohe limited to a fluorescent light, but the same adinirablyv adapted to m sign. trail-"spare window I!) is locatediin the front- 20 or the case through which the signs can be read.

In operation the fluorescent light l5 projects light through the display cards 9 which have their script stencilled therethrough, the light passing through the stencilling, displays the script through the transparent window 19, My invention consists of providing a blackout shutter or card 2|. This shutter is fixed to the cross shaft 22, which in turn is journalled within the bearings 23 and 24. The object of the shutter is to blank out the display cards mounted within the reel 2 while the same are being revolved to display position.

Notches 25 are formed within the periphery of the disk 5 of the reel and cooperate with a cam 26 which is keyed to the shaft 22. The shutter 2| is normally held in the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 by the action of the spring 21 which engages the framework 28 at 29 at its one end and havigig its opposite end secured to the shaft 22 at 3 In the operation of the shutter when the crank l2 of the driving unit I l rotates the star wheel 8, the cam 26 i revolved in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 5), by the cam surface 3| to the position illustrated in Figure '7 raising the blackout shutter blocking out the movement of the display cards 9. This may be a complete blackout as indicated in Figure 3, or the same may have a stencil indication, as for instance the arrow 32 and lettering 33.

When the reel has been rotated ninety degrees the cam will drop into the next cut out portion 25 allowing the spring 21 to return the blackout shutter to the position illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

The providing of the shutter and its associated operating parts in connection with the reel 2 is the primary object of my invention, although the exact operating mechanism may be substituted by other mechanical equivalents still coming within the scope of my claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. A display sign comprising a housing, a display window in said housing, a shaft in said housing, means on said shaft for supporting radially disposed signs thereon, means for intermittently rotating said shaft to move one of said signs in line with said window, a shutter in said housing and pivotally mounted along one edge adjacent one edge, of said window, means for biasing said shutter to a position away from said window to expose the sign in line with said window, a cam on said shaft, and a cam follower connected with said shutter to move said shutter to window covering position while said shaft is rotating to move another sign in line with said window, said cam being designed to free said follower to permit the operation of said shutter biasing means upon alignment of a sign with said window.

2. A display sign as defined in claim 1, wherein said shaft, said shutter pivot and the window edge adjacent said shutter pivot are all parallel and said shaft andshutter pivot are substantially in a plane perpendicular to said window and beyond said edge thereof.

3. A display sign as defined in claim 2 wherein said signs are arranged at right angles to each other about said shaft.

4. A display sign as defined in claim 1, wherein said sign supporting means comprises a pair of spaced disks mounted on said shaft and have sign receiving channels on their opposed faces for removably receiving said signs.

5. A display sign as defined in claim 1, wherein said sign supporting means comprises a pair of spaced disks mounted on said shaft and have sign supporting means on their opposed faces, the periphery of one of said disks forming said cam and having notches therein adjacent each sign supporting means to free said cam follower.

6. A display sign as defined in claim 1, wherein said shutter has indicia thereon to function as a sign in addition to said signs. 7

7. A display sign as defined in claim 1, wherein said shutter comprises a plate that is edge mounted on a shaft journalled in said housing, said cam follower comprises a finger fixed to said shaft, and'said shutter biasing means comprises a spring coiled about said shaft and having its ends respectively anchored to said shaft and said housing.

RICHARD NEWTON MORTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 603,092 Starr Apr. 26, 1898 1,678,684 Thrower July 31, 1928 1,735,352 Morrison Nov. 12, 1929 2,160,561 Perry May 30, 1939 

